Is it safe to use chemical drain cleaners

Drain cleaning solutions

Your drains at home can get clogged in several ways, and as we all know, the experience can be awful. Grease, food remnants, soap, and hair are some of the materials implicated and can lead to drains getting clogged in homes. We all have to deal with these materials daily at home.

Drains getting clogged is an issue that you may have to deal with frequently. More worrisome is the fact that many individuals are clueless about what to do when this situation arises. You can hire a skilled plumber; they have different approaches to this unpleasant situation.

Chemical cleaners are what many people resort to, and this has generated a lot of controversy in the plumbing industry. This has led some to question if it is safe to use chemical drain cleaners. This article will answer this question and present the risks and ways to stay safe if you use chemical cleaners.

Why use chemical drain cleaners?

Those who experience a blocked drain in any part of their home would want it fixed without delay. This is especially the case for bathrooms or kitchens since they rely on drains to discharge grey water. Many individuals resort to chemical drain cleaners to clear clogged drains because they provide a quick fix for them.

They are also straightforward to use and work fine for most people. Unfortunately, the fact that these chemicals provide easy and quick fixes does not mean they are the safest or the best option. While their use is incredibly convenient, they are chock full of ingredients that can be harmful to us if used too frequently.

Essential things to know about chemical drain cleaners

Most brands of chemical drain cleaners contain sodium hydroxide (lye), caustic soda, or sulfuric acid. These chemicals are toxic and highly corrosive on organic materials and metals. This is where their power lies and what makes them very effective cleaning agents.

Hydroxide ions in alkaline chemical cleaners generate heat to dissolve clogs, clearing drains of any standing water. Other common materials you may come across in stores as drain cleaners include peroxides, bleach, and nitrates. These products also are capable of pulverising clogs through oxidation by making them lose electrons, making them dissolve easily.

Effects of chemical drain cleaners on your plumbing system

Chemical drain cleaners are effective as cleaning agents because of their heat. Their downside is that the heat eats away a large part of your plumbing system’s material. Metals are among the materials that can be affected by these chemicals. This makes these chemicals harmful to pipes used in plumbing works.

These drain cleaners not only affect metals but can also damage PVC by breaking them down over time. Other risks come with using these chemicals that can lead to the loss of lives. A significant concern comes with using chemical cleaners, but unfortunately, little or no attention is given to it.

While these chemicals would serve as effective solutions during emergency plumbing works, they draw attention away from the fact that a clogged drain is a sign of a more significant and more widespread issue. An example that many people can relate to is when they experience frequent clogs in their bathroom or kitchen but never know until it is too late that it is a problem related to their garbage disposal.

People will usually link clogs to backed-up sewer lines or broken pipes. There is a substantial chance that you will not identify this problem if you always use these chemical cleaners to take care of clogged drains.

Reasons not to use chemical drain cleaners

Some of the activities you carry out at home may appear harmless, but they end up clogging drain pipes, which will cost you time, effort, and money to rectify. Using chemical drain cleaners is easy, but it may ultimately cost you. This seemingly easy route has some profound implications, and the earlier you know this, the better it is for you as far as drain cleaning is concerned.

Harmful to children

Chemical cleaners can seriously threaten the well-being of pets and children. Keeping any chemical drain cleaners at home exposes children and pets to toxic materials. It does not matter whether you consider yourself a careful pet owner or an attentive parent. Keep them out of your home to avoid exposing children and pets unnecessarily to chemical-based drain cleaners.

Safety concerns

It would be much simpler if one could simply pour these chemicals down the drain and sit back to watch all the clogging issues disappear. However, this is far from reality. Many homeowners do not even bother to read the directions and precautions printed on the labels before using a cleaner. These products typically remind their users to:

• Always use in a well-ventilated area
• Keep them far out of the reach of your pets and children
• Not mix with other drain cleaners
• Put on rubber gloves
• Not use the chemical with a plunger

People who fail to heed these warnings may face issues far worse than a clogged drain.

Effect on the environment

Chemical drain cleaners have profound adverse effects on the environment. Most of them contain bleach and other chemicals that can negatively impact the environment if they make their way into the water supply. The danger of chemical cleaners becomes a severe threat to life when they go to the septic tank and are eventually released into the groundwater.

Chemical reactions

There is a good chance that a chemical reaction may occur in your plumbing system if you use different types of chemical drain cleaners. For example, this may happen when ammonia and bleach mix up. The resultant effect is that toxic fumes will be released into the home. What happens next may not be easy to predict, but it is safe to conclude it will seriously affect the health of the individuals in your home.

Effectiveness of the chemicals

Timeously, we see on commercials and read in papers how these drain cleaning solutions are the best for any clogged drain. The important thing left out of the report is that they do not take care of all causes of clogs.

A great example is when the cause of a clogged pipe is a damaged pipe. Using a chemical cleaner will not provide the much-needed solution; instead, it will create an additional one because this solution might leak from this pipe and go to another place no one knows.

Not many people know that chemical-based drain cleaners rely on heat to eliminate clogs in pipes. The heat that is generated makes PVC susceptible to damage because the heat makes the material soft.

Damage is not only seen in newer pipes. When chemical drain cleaning solutions are used on older metallic pipes, the same or even more severe damage may be done to your plumbing system.

Protect yourself if you must use drain cleaners

It is understandable that many people use drain cleaners and want to continue doing so for a long time. If you must use these chemicals too, put on safety glasses or protect your face with a face shield. It is not uncommon to see the substances bubble back out, especially if there is a big air bubble.

Use nitrile gloves to protect your hands. These gloves come a little pricier than the cheap latex ones, but they are well worth the price. They will give adequate protection to your hands from clog-destroying chemicals.

Downsides of using chemical drain cleaners

If you are still not convinced to look beyond the chemical drain cleaner option, here are some more reasons to keep away. One other downside is that these chemicals are not always effective. If it is discovered that the problem is more significant than a mere clog or it is a result of damaged pipes, you may have to contact a licensed plumber to take over the task.

Plumbers use equipment such as hydro jetting and in-line cameras to clear the drains. They also remove stubborn clogs without damaging plumbing components. The chemicals can be toxic to plant and animal life within the affected soil since chemical drain cleaners may find their way into the soil.

This can lead to disruption of the ecosystem if care is not taken. You may minimise the effects of drain cleaners if they are appropriately used by following the instructions on their labels.

Safe alternatives to chemical drain cleaners

There are greener cleaning products that you can use, which can assure you of reasonable safety for your family and pets and also protect the earth. Products like vinegar and baking soda are friendly to your plumbing system. They contain enzymes that dissolve organic waste and can also effectively break up materials like soap, food, and hair.

These products can also be utilised as preventative maintenance products instead of a solution for tackling stubborn clogs. One downside of greener options is that they require a longer time to work. Physical drain cleaners such as augers and drain snakes are also a great option. Drain snakes are effective at removing hair clogs in the bathroom, while augers can help to break up clogs resulting from gunk and soap.

Calling a professional plumber for help

When the problem is somewhat more extensive than a mere clog because none of the attempts you made have worked, it could be because of hidden damage or a stubborn clog that only a professional can handle. Don’t hold back from calling a professional plumber for help in this kind of situation because they are licensed and have both prerequisite knowledge and tools for leak detection and clog removal to deal with this type of situation.